Best Medical PDA

Written by Studentdoc Editor

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Today, many of the best resources for physicians, medical students, and other medical staff members are available for hand-held devices. This has allowed medical professionals to get information they need with the touch of a button while they are with patients instead of requiring them to dig through large volumes of books. However, not every handheld device is powerful enough to handle the demands of this software. Below is a look at two of the best physician PDAs currently available.

One possibility is the Tungsten E2 Handheld. Although heavier than some PDAs, the Tungsten has other important advantages. Out of the box, the Tungsten has 32 MB of memory which can be expanded in several ways, including SD, SDIO, and Multimedia cards. Plus, the Tungsten uses Flash memory instead of “volatile” RAM. This is a benefit because if the PDA crashes none of the data will be lost as it is with RAM.

The Tungsten E2 runs a Palm operating system so it is compatible with most medical software currently available. In fact, some comparison studies have found that the Palm OS is more stable than the Windows for PDAs. In important situations, this factor could be critical.

Additionally, this PDA has built-in Bluetooth technology so it can communicate wirelessly with other devices, but it only has a 200 Mhz processors which means it might be slower than similar PDAs. The Tungsten's price ranges from $190 to $260.

For those who prefer a PDA which runs on a Windows OS, this HP IPAQ may be a better option. This model comes with 256 MB of memory, but 64 MB of that memory consists of “volatile” RAM. However, CF (Compact Flash) and SDIO (Secure Digital) memory can be added.

The HP IPAQ is also Bluetooth capable out of the box, plus it comes with enhanced security features which can protect any sensitive data stored on the device. It also comes equipped with a built-in voice recorder.

One of the biggest advantages of this HP IPAQ is its processor. With a 520 Mhz processor, this PDA will be able to run software smoothly and efficiently. The price for this model is around $350-$400.